NYC offices are closed and remote work is here to stay (at least for the immediate future). There's no need to pay for an overpriced East Village apartment if I don't need to be commuting everyday. Plus I can get a larger apartment and lease a car for the same price only 20 miles away outside the city in NJ. When I do need to start commuting into the office again, I'll happily bite the bullet on an hour and change traveling time door-to-door.